Reading Response 2 - Sept 16

This chapter from Mythologies written by Roland Barthes focuses on the concepts of what defines a myth. The author starts by pointing out that myth is a type of speech, where it is used as a way of communicating a meaningful message and it is defined by its intention. Barthes explains the “materials of mythical speech”, which includes language, photography, painting, posters, rituals, objects, or any kind of representation that contains a truly meaningful idea. The second point the author expands on is the idea that a myth is a concept that is characterized by history. It connects to semiology because signs are part of historical messages.The last idea Barthes points out is that in semiology a myth is a piece signification, it cannot be distorted. There is a level of cultural significance where people can interpretat a myth in a different way.

Why does it resonate with you? What is your opinion (do you agree/disagree/feel confused) related to this section?

A  paragraph that caught my attention was the last one on page 23. The author measures and explains “our present alienation”, as “ constantly drift between the object and its demystification, powerless to render its wholeness”. I can make a connection to a myth in historical concepts -- found earlier in the text -- because sometimes we do not acknowledge history, only our reality. The author says that we need to “penetrate the object”  and we also need to “liberate” it, I believe what he is portraying is the idea that when we gain knowledge of a certain topic, we are liberating our understanding and opening our minds to new skills of comprehension.  In the last sentence of this paragraph Barthes  states that “we must seek: a reconciliation between reality and men, between description and explanation, between object and knowledge” I agree with this because in order to fully understand the relation of things in our lives we need to be be able to accept different versions of what we already know, and need some sense of curiosity. To understand, in a very general way, the message of the meaning of myths the author draws the reader to pay more attention to ideology, because they are still considered “magical, terrorized, blinded and fascinated by the split in the social work” . I think that if you are capable of understanding more about the meaning of myth  you are also closer to understanding our reality.